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What is Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), also called idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, is a genetic heart condition where some of the muscles in the heart develop to be unusually thin. Because the muscle is thin, the heart cannot pump blood as efficiently. This causes the heart to overcompensate, trying to fill with more blood to pump at once. This further weakens the heart muscle and, over time, results in heart failure.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a genetically inherited cardiac disease, meaning that it is passed from parents to children at birth. Many other genetic cardiac conditions, like Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, can be managed and mitigated through healthy living and heart habits. Many cases of dilated cardiomyopathy are found through cardiac genetic testing, which allows doctors to examine the genetic material for any mutations.
Symptoms of Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
If you experience these symptoms, they may be a sign you are suffering from a familial dilated cardiomyopathy.
- Chest pain or shortness of breath: especially during or after after exercise or rigorous physical activity, chest tightness, chest pain, or abnormal shortness of breath might be a sign that your heart is having to work harder than normal to bear the physical strain.
- Fainting: also after exercise or rigorous activity, fainting can be a sign your body is not getting blood to important organs or your brain.
- Sense of rapid or fluttering heartbeats: A feeling of abnormal heartbeats could be a concerning sign that you have a cardiomyopathy. Talk to your doctor for a heart screen.
These symptoms can be serious and should be treated with caution. Most cases of familial dilated cardiomyopathies are undetected until they are symptomatic. From there, a cascade of genetic testing helps identify other family members with the disease.
Treatments for Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy
There are several ways to help manage familial dilated cardiomyopathy and live a full life. Several medications exist which help alleviate the stress that familial dilated cardiomyopathy causes on the heart. Additionally, a few surgeries are available that help reduce the strain of the heart muscle. Ask your doctor about recommendations for you. Additionally, for those in an older demographic, there are assisted living services that are equipped to handle many types of medical conditions, as regular observation can help patients remain healthy.
